Interviewing an interviewer in front of 400 people isn’t easy, but I experienced that honor last Thursday at our Wise & Wild day-long event in LA with Rich Roll. Becoming a beginning podcaster at nearly-65 requires a growth mindset, especially when some of my first podcast interviews are with some of the most famous interviewers on the American scene: Rich, Maria Shriver, Hoda Kotb, Krista Tippett, Rob Bell, and so many more.
Being an effective conversationalist taps into many of the skills that improve with age: empathy and emotional intelligence, intuition, and knowing how to mix gravitas and levity. It also requires presence and that’s something I’ve learned from Rich. Here’s a guy who became an ultra-endurance athlete in midlife, focused on his biometrics. He previously was productive as a college swimmer and a toiling attorney, but now his productivity moved to running and biking extra-long treks.
But, as one of the best-known podcasters in the world, Rich has moved from productivity to presence, a quality that he says is essential in conducting a juicy conversation. His #1 way of preparing for an interview isn’t doing extensive research about what his guest has been up to lately (often, his guests are on a book tour), but, instead, he imagines how he’ll connect emotionally and even spiritually with his guest. And, it shows. Listening to a Rich Roll podcast is like being a fly on the wall when two good friends reconnect over a deep conversation.
Six years ago, Rich put out an Instagram message that went viral: “I didn’t reach my athletic peak until I was 43. I didn’t write my first book until I was 44. I didn’t start my podcast until I was 45. At 30, I thought my life was over. At 52, I know it’s just beginning.” In an updated message in 2022, he advised that people need to embrace a more patient, long view of their life and double-down on the things that make them feel alive. Rich Roll is a role model for that kind of life.
-Chip
P.S. I’m thrilled that so many of you are loving my new podcast, The Midlife Chrysalis, with last week’s introductory episodes with Maria Shriver, Michael Franti, and Jerry Colonna. A new episode drops on Wednesday (I believe Hoda Kotb’s episode will go live this week). And, my interview with Rich Roll will go live later this month.
